87%

That's about how much of my normal self I feel today - about 87%. I was wavering back and forth today about hitting the gym for an abbreviated training session. I couldn't decide if going would be pushing it and be detrimental, or if going would actually help my system "jump start" for Monday- because no way in H-E- double hockey sticks am I missing training Monday, no matter what the story is. So I opened my front door. It was at least 60 degrees out, and sunny. That was enough to push me outside and down the road I went.

I still have these lovely swollen black eyes. It is kind of interesting how people either look at you, or try not to look at you without asking what in the world happened.

I did about half of the amount of work I would do on a back - bicep day. No really heavy movements...my lowest rep set was 8, most were in the 10-15 range. I set out to do one armed lat pull downs, but as soon as my arm reached up to and grabbed the handle, I knew I'd have to scratch that one off of my list of exercises. It felt like it was stretching my breast open.

All told, I did 15 sets, including 3 for shoulders (heck, can't let those wither). I weighed in at 162...my arms and shoulders and legs look a little leaner, even after laying around for two weeks. My abdomen is bloated, but that is probably due to all of the drugs, the laying around, and a bit of an off-kilter diet.(what, me eat Pringles???) I had to take some super duper anti- biotics, because the doctor wanted to be cautious and to make sure my fever wasn't an infection. I knew it wasn't, but better not to risk it - I took the last one yesterday but they really made me funky. Glad they are over with.

So I came home, ate, took a hot bath, and actually fell asleep!!!!

Anyhooo - here's a "16th" place back for you....yeah, that's right...yes, I'm griping, and after looking at pictures I just received from Eric Lemke taken the morning after the Nationals...well, Hell, I have to.

Granted, I looked a bit fuller the morning after the contest, as many people do, but 16th place was highway robbery... there, I finally said it out loud, but that's all I'm saying. A few new pics were posted on my free site, on the Nationals page....Eric Lemke is a pure joy to work with, can't wait to work with him again. And someday, when my webmaster REMEMBERS...there will be a new video posted on my free video gallery page (he'll read that, but will he post it???)

Knee Wraps

First - Let me announce that my Members' Section is up and running. I am very, very pleased with the outcome. I have lots of mini-movies, and training video clips, and photo galleries, and even a special Members' Blog. I was I was thrilled to procure several members my first week online!
I will be posting some fresh photographs on my free site, within the next few days, as well.
I am going batty being sequestered in my home for a week! I figured I would stop in and chat about something...I thought knee wraps would be a good topic.
First, I'd like to recommend learning how to wrap your own knees from the get go.
I've been powerlifting for almost two years, and I still have yet to wrap my own knees!!! I learned how to wrap only a few months ago. I wrapped B's once in practice, and once in the gym. My forearms were sore for two days after wrapping B's knees in the gym. I guess that's how you know you've done it correctly. I always think to myself that I am going to go in and wrap my own knees someday...I mean, what if I got stuck by myself at a meet and couldn't find a wrapper? But, the princess always puts the notion to the back of her head when B or somebody offers to wrap....pitiful, I am plain ol' pitiful.
Second, they need to be tight, but not so tight that they prevent you from rebounding. They can also be so tight that they prevent you from reaching proper depth. B was always wrapping me so derned tight, and when I finally mentioned that perhaps they were TOO tight, he scoffed at the notion, so I closed my mouth again for awhile. However, recently I had him relent and back off the tightness a bit, and lo' and behold - I can work them properly again. I don't believe I am ever getting as much 'bounce' out of them as I could, but I will continue to work on that, as it feels all new to me again.
B will hate that I mentioned this, but I really believe that I may have missed my 425 squat in September at the Power Frenzy due to the wraps being so tight. I've gone over it in my head, and watched the video - I went as deep as I thought I could go without breaking form.
I currently use APT Black mambas...as well as the Black Mamba wrist wraps.

Squats back on track

The hip realignment has really put my squatting back into its proper groove. I am able to get back down deep, with a narrower stance. I think I did 365 x 6, then 405 x2, 405 x2, and 315 for 8, no wraps. I'm wimping out again on the last rep or two of heavy squats, so I've got to undertake that as my mission again, to stop wimping out. I could have gotten 3 to 4, but that fear of exertion, or effort, or laziness, whatever it is - I just wimp out.

No training for the next week and a half - just a lil' surgery, but I'll be back soon!

Psychologically disabled

There is my 250 bench press from the APA Delaware Open last week - grrroooaann. No arch - and have you ever tried to utilize a foot plate that has three large holes in it? And a lip around the circumfrence, and a hole in the middle? I can come up with a million excuses, and even some reasons, but at this moment I am going to publicly admit - I choke - severe performance anxiety. I am going to do some research on sports psychology. I may make a trip back to the hypnotherapist. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do about this problem. What I do know is if I can get over this block, I can prove to the world how strong I really am. As of now, I'm sure many think I'm all talk.

Last night GW and I went to town on our backs. It was his first real deadlift workout, ever. There are some fine points that he needs to rectify, but GW has the capability of being formidable on the platform. I will tell you this also - if most of the 25 to 30 year olds I know worked out half as hard or with a fraction of determination as this 59 year old...George is remarkable. He's got this split in both of his biceps trying to poke through - awesome guns!

I'm trying to stick with the "just pick it up" theory in the deadlift, and I think that is going to be the key with me - just walk over and yank it, no analyzing, no deep breathing, no mind setting, no perfect set up -just yank on it and whip it through.

Anyhoo - getting back to that footplate problem - and the fact that that bar in the picture is my own personal bar that I brought for the meet. A couple of the other guys brought their own personal deadlift bar, also. A meet director should ALWAYS have equipment, and if not their own, then have it lined up prior to the meet. This means proper equipment. Relying on competitors and not knowing what the facility has for usage is unacceptable in my book. Run a meet - run it right!

Back to the benching board

B couldn't make it to the gym last night - 'twas just George and I. We decided to just train and have some fun, and we did. We kept the reps high - 10 is high for me!!! I didn't want to go over 225 on the bench, because I was determined to relearn a groove, if I needed to...well, there was no lack of groove last night. Of course, the weights were on the lighter side, but the arch, the push, the rotation - they were there...hmmm. Do I need to pull out the "nervous theory" to explain last Saturday? Then again, my hip is starting to slide back into the jammed position - I can tell that I'm standing incorrectly again, with my hips pushed out instead of back.
I managed a 225 x 10, x 10, x 8, x 6, and G gave me just a little help on the last two sets to make it up to 10. All paused - I tried to un-pause the reps on my last set, but I am so used to pausing that not doing so feels foreign to me now. So, for the rest of my life - I pause.
We did declines and crossovers and later flyes and front laterals and all those movements that powerlifters eschew!
This morning I feel tight, I feel trained, I feel pleasantly trained. However, I still abide by my favorite theory - 'Reps suck", so don't get used to this kind of workout from me!

APA Delaware Open

I watched the video clips of my benching, and sure enough, my set up was not right. It was more like how I used to bench last year. The arch is almost non-existant, and my legs are not on the right "elevated plane". But I could not feel that whislt I was laying on the bench. It proves the re-alignment theory is at least partially, if not mostly, the reason behind my unexpected performance on Saturday. Back to the benching board.

Here are some pics from the meet on Saturday :

John Cristaldi (aka "Jump Rope")

235Raw bench 415 Raw Deadlift at 146 lbs.

Paul Timmons - 425 Raw deadlift at 164 lbs

I don't know the green haired guy's name - but he needed a singlet to be able to lift and I donated him my extra. He looked good in it, dontcha think?

Below:
Sean Beam - Best Overall Lifter, ????, yours truly, Tim Hunter and Chris Webb. The guys are all from Dover DE Gold's Gym.

Flip flopped results

Oh my! The day couldn't have turned out on a more opposite end of the spectrum than I had planned!
My bench press was not at all good yesterday - I'll get to the reasons (ok, excuses, but there are some valid) that possibly may have shot it all to heck in a bit.
I opened with 250 (RAW, of course - ). I actually backed that number down from the 275 I was going to open with. I did get it, no problems.
Next -280 miss
Next -305 -miss.
Now mind you, I've been benching a good 315 for one or two good pause reps for a couple of months now...so what happened???? I was good for a double body weight a couple of weeks ago....so what in the heck happened????? WTF???

My nerves eat up part of my energy, for sure, and boy, did I over analyze this one from the get go, and they had those damned weights that are rubber with three large holes in them. Not good for foot plates, let me tell you! Broderick and I talked on the way home. If you have ever read my training blog you have read my mentioning about it -I've suffered what I thought were primarily back problems for a long time, several years. I go to the chiropractor a minimum of once every three weeks, sometimes every week, sometimes more than once a week. But about a month or more ago Broderick, who you might know has a degree in biology, poked around on me, after I have whined so heavily about my back and hip being non-stop sore and sometimes downright painful or the past 3 months. He said I know what your problem is. It's your hip, not your back, not your spine. So he has been yanking on my leg about once a week, trying to unjam my hip. This past week, lo and behold, I think it was Wednesday, he finally popped that thing out. I stood up straight, really straight for the first time in several years, probably. The pain has been incredibly lessend, I have been so thankful and happy. Anyway, where I'm taking you with this, is that we both think that it took my body into a whole different line than I am used to, hence the groove that I am used to, is no more. I have to find a new groove again. Sounds quirky, but most likely true. That's a 70 pound dropon my bench. I was on line to set a world record. I was not pleased with my performance. It baffled me much, but as I kept going back and reliving it in my head, there is nothing that I can pick out that I did wrong. It just didn't work right....I have to go back and relearn a groove again on the bench. I guess life could be worse, but this was not what any of us had envisioned!

HOWEVER...and thank goodness there is a however...I decided at the very last minute to deadlift. I mean about 15 minutes prior to deadlift warmups. The meet director let me go in as the "guest deadlifter", and he should have, because I brought the bench bar, I brought my lightbox, and I brought some other things he used. (Thank goodness for me, huh? )I had no expectations, especially since my deadlift has been quite depressing lately in the gym. I didn't sign up to deadlift initially because my deadlift has just plain SUCKED since November. My best on the competition platform until yesterday had been 400 (raw). Yesterday I started light, and didn't really plan on doing much in the way of numbers, because of how it has been going in the gym lately. I wasn't even thinking of deadlifting until the very moment I decided to. I went 335 - 385 - 410. I went ahead and took a fourth attempt, for a PR and a state record and I pulled an easy 430. I should have and could have done a 450, anybody who saw it will tell you that, but who woulda thunk after that terrible bench performance? Who woulda thunk after months of wrestling with my deadlift in the gym???

The now aligned hip probably helped my deadlift as much as it hindered my bench.

After I decided to deadlift, I realized that I had no flat shoes to deadlift in, I looked around the gym, to see if I could find somebody with about my size feet in a flat pair of shoes. This pretty woman, who had come up to me and admired me earlier, was watching, and she had on flat shoes, actually short flat boots, cool ones too, that laced up. I asked her what size her shoes were, and she let me try on the shoes. They fit and she let me wear them. After the deadlifting I ran over to her and told her there must have been magic in her shoes, and thanked her. Can you believe that she actually GAVE me her shoes? So I came home with these really cool shoe-boots that I just love!

All in all - 2 good points over one bad. I guess I win.

Counting down

It's 3 and a half hours before bench-off....My nerves are rattling and my system is operating at about 20 times amped over it's normal "air of urgency" levels...why am I so nervous? This will be a fun meet, because it is so many local people. (of course, never as fun as the Delaware Power Classic or the First State Power Frenzy). I know many of the lifters. I'm even donating the use of my own personal Magic Bar for the bench press portion of the meet.
I weighed in at 160 EVEN - that is perfect!
Let's go!!!!

Standing straight

Last night B grabbed ahold of my leg and yanked it just right. My hip moved big time , I felt it and you could hear it. I don't know how long it has been since I have stood straight, many years, many, many, but I can actually stand straight now! I exaggerate not. Wow. I wonder what kind of difference this will make in my lifting - will I have to adjust all over again, now that I finally have a bench groove and a squat groove? This is such a great feeling. Thank you Dr. B (he truly is missing his calling - he is a healer). You can catch a picture of B in this month's PLUSA, page #42. I imagine that picture was taken seconds before he passed out!

Monday was a tremendously gratifying night in the gym. Leg night - I moved my stance back to my old narrow stance. One of the reasons was because I could - I have had to keep a wider stance lately because of all of the hip and back pain. But, because B and I have been tending to the problem with extra care and attention lately, much of the pain was gone, so I was able to move my stance back. I cannot get down deep enough with a wide stance. For me it is biomechanically impossible to squat wide, at least with a competition legal depth. My narrow stance allows me to get down past legal point and also allows me to remain strong. YAY!!!

Unfortunately, the bubble burst on Tuesday evening. Of course, I wasn't recovered from Monday, that was point #1. I just cannot train two nights in a row. Point #2 is that for EVERY meet thus far, I have bombed out in either my last bench workout or the one prior to that, no exeptions. I should have figured, since last week I was on fire. So 255 wasn't even a go. Sad, no?
But, I've consistently worked with 315 for the past couple of months, and I've been good for two good pauses at that weight for several weeks now, so as long as I can get some sleep, and eat good food, and keep my mind from wandering back to the 255, I'll be fine on Saturday.
I am down to around 161 or 162 today, so I must maintain this for weigh-ins tomorrow night.
They don't start until 6:00 pm, that sucks.

Turn me off

Last night was a kind of a crash and burn session. Crashed after I walked in the gym doors, actually - deadlifting was not quite a disaster, mostly because there wasn't much of it. I was not just 'off' last night, but I was 'turned off'. I did a few sets of high cable one arm rows, and that was it. No need to drive myself further into the ground, which is usually what I do. I need to be in good form form benching next weekend. Besides, it is supposed to be a 'back off' week anyway.
My weight is down hovering 164-165 now. I was up to 168 last week, but I needed to make weight for the meet next weekend, and waiting until the last second just isn't for me. I'd like to come in at 162.
B figured out what my pain problem is - the muscles around my core section (obliques, etc.) and hip are tighter on my right side than on my left. Was it that I've been so off kilter for so long that caused this. or was it this that caused me to become so off kilter? We will never know, though I think it is the former. No wonder I can't drive for long distances without screaming out expletives! I am prescribed (by Dr. B) to place moist heat on my right side for periods of time every day. Also to roll up a towel and place it under my gluteus medius whilst laying down to stretch my lower back. It helps.
If you watch a video clip of me squatting, you can usually pick out a wobbly kind of movement on my right side as I descend. This is an effect from the tightness I am talking about, that has been getting worse of the late. Pain, especially when I wake up, has become a daily experience. I don't like that. Let's see how much looseness I can acquire before my next full power meet, because, I am telling you, that squatting is suffering from this.

I forgot to Mention -

that I am planning on benching at the APA Delaware Open on February 10th...it's being held at Gold's Gym in Dover, so I only have to travel 45 minutes.
Send me some positive vibes, please, so I don't choke on the platorm.

365 - soon

My favorite night of the week - bench night! Looks like George Wilson will be joining us every Wednesday night for bench night. A great addition to our weekly circus!!! George is awesome - and I'm the lucky girl who gets to train with two terrific guys, B and G. I found out last night that G is 59, but I swear he looks 10 years younger. And strong he is! We just need to keep his butt anchored to the bench, 'but by cracky' I think he's on the right track. (get the pun?....sorry)

I felt kind of stiff last night when I arrived, and had planned a 275 as a warm up to my 315, B had different plans.... I did a couple at 225 and B wanted me to go right to 315. I didn't think I was quite warmed up enough, but I did get two very nice pause reps at 315! Then...to overload and prep my nervous system, B had me get under 365! (See picture as proof). I was expecting to do just one negative, but....B had different plans. After unracking, I didn't really have the feel of it, then B kind of pushed it into the groove, and it went WUMP!!! down into my chest, he pulled up on it some, of course, while I pressed. Then immediately again. It went up a little too high on my pecs this time, actually I feared that it was going to crush my throat, but I stuck with it, and B. By the time the third rep rolled around, I finally got the groove of it, and accepted the feeling of 365 (F'ing heavy!!!). I actually gave it a really good go on the way up! I did not realize it until after reviewing the video clip but these were all paused! Sometimes after doing a set or more of pause reps, it is hard to unlock the mode from your brain. That is exactly what happened to me. I WILL have that 365 sooner than most of you think. I may have to go up a weight class, but it's in me - just give me some time.

Hang in There

My website is still in process of transition. I imagine it will be a few more days until the kinks get all worked out. The Members' Section is almost ready to launch, too! So yunz all hang in there (you Pittsburgh area people know that word).

I didn't make any postings last week becuase my site has been down, although you can
access my blog from www.DE-APF.com.

Last week B wasn't around, but I didn't really have to venture out all alone. Monday I did train alone, but I went down to Rehoboth Gold's, and my darling Jump Rope helped me out whilst I squatted. I call him Jump Rope because before I knew his name I noted that he always began his training sessions by jumping rope for 5 or 10 minutes. Jump Rope is about 5'5, 150 pounds, and strong as Heck!!!! If he spent some time training with us, or anyone for that matter, learning technique, he'd be incredible, naturally. Jump Rope volunteered to wrap my knees for squatting after I told him I never wrapped my own knees before...so I STILL haven't ever wrapped my own knees. Isn't that scary? I've wrapped B's twice - once in practice and once in the gym. At least I can wrap my own wrists... still the princess. I AM capable of really putting forth and working hard on my own, and I did just that. I didn't squat terribly heavy, 365 for 5, just enough to keep in practice. Lots of tension and pain...it was good, but I did miss B.

Wednesday George Wilson came to work out with us, but as I was solo, he kind of just wound up helping me out, which was really sweet of him. George has won many powerlifting events. He won the Delaware Senior Olympics last year, with a 450 bench, I believe. George is 55 or 56, but he looks great. And he's handsome. I benched 275 for 5 pauses, then 315 for 1 pause... could have done 2, but we planned a 335 pause, unnfortunately - nope. I tried to put myself in George's mode, didn't work. I did get it halfway up. I guess the rotation, or forgetting the rotation, was the problem here. He helped me out for the rest of chest, then exited.
I finished with delts, and tri's, and got a big swole on!

Friday Bill Jentz (Women's Physique World) came to town. He was on his way to Ocean City, MD, so he stopped in to train with me on the way down...mostly he followed me around and videoed me. He did try some dumbell rowing, and some barbell curling. It was so much fun. I like Bill very much. I deadlifted, nothing remarkable, up to 395, which came up notedly easy, I should have put 20 more pounds on the bar, it still would have been easy. I seem to be stuck at doing one heavy rep on the deadlift though, easy or not easy, then I get tired and peter out. Moved on to dumbell rows. Bill thought 150 for 12 was exceptional...I thought it was eveyday dumbell rowing. I'm hoping to get up to The Training Center this Friday and rep with the 180's...it's hard to find a gym with big dumbells - what gives? Strong people need their nourishment, too. Bill repped a 135 for 5 in the barbell curl. We went to DogfishHead and had steak and wine and ale.

Last night, Monday night, B returned! We "backed off'"...because it's my "back off" week...We remembered to do hamstrings first, which I forgot to do last week.
My hip was so jammed up. I went to the chiropractor, but he couldn't budge me much - thank God B knows a bit about the human structure. he grabbed on me, pushed on me, manuevered me and mangled me. He managed to unjam me enough so I am not in constant pain at this time.
My right hip just jams up on me, and my whole right side gets pained, from my neck down to my toes. Ever since I slipped a disc five years ago, it's been trouble and pain. The chiropractor wants to unjam the spine, but B says unless the hip is aligned, the back isn't goingt to work it out. B is right so often it is scary. I am glad he is back. Though I had a good week and enjoyed my time with fresh faces, I missed him.

Power Benching!!!

I was on fire! Since I didn't bench on Saturday, and last week was an abbreviated workout, heck, I sure should have been ready to bench press. My forearms were sore from Monday (the only thing I can figure was from wrapping "B's knees", so I figured if I bombed there was my excuse.

I warmed up relatively quickly last night. I was in a relaxed mode, too ( I used the "R" word!) . 275 was my first set. I did it very determinidly (is that a word?). Since my forearms were sore, I had to really focus on tightening my chest, and that made all of the difference in the world. I forgot to put my wraps on, and B stopped me short of expending my energy. I did four pauses. He saw my mode and popped three wheels (I love saying that!) on each side, and told me that I was going to pause. This was my goal for my meet in April. Was I ready for this so soon? Heck yeah! Not one, but two PAUSE reps at 315! I even impressed myself. So what then, on my next set??? 335, of course. Not pause reps, but touch and go, becuse, heck, it is a whole bunch of weight. Two reps,all mine...

So, the question is, can I bring that to a meet without choking? My technique is much better than last year, so much better, maybe not completely flawless, but certainly golden technique these days, if I do say so myself. I even have a small arch going on. OK, truth be told, it's the magic shoes. Shoes can make a heck of a difference, yes.

Rediscovering hams

Up until several months ago, we always trained our hamstrings first on leg day. I'm not even sure when we dropped the habit. Even before performing big squats, hamstrings always came first. I always found that this helped me feel supported - to know that my legs were actually down there to hold me up. Even if we fried them with 3 or 4 all out sets of leg curls or whatever, "feeling" the hammies always seemed to help me in the squat.
Somehow we fell out of the practice and I even forgot that we did that. I have been wondering what the heck has been going on in my squat, and as soon as Broderick suggested we start doing the hammies first again, I knew that was it. We started doing this again last night. I did not squat, I leg pressed, but yes indeed! That was the ticket -
We went to The Training Center, hadn't been there in about a month. It feels good to be back. Leg training anywhere else just is not the same. Leg presses up to 1290 for 3...knees to chest, none of those partial movements some people call reps.
I have to find myself a powerlifting meet to do within the next month. I'm not even going to "prep" for one, just go do one, to make up for missing Henri Skiba's meet on Saturday.

missed it

The Jersey Iron meet - I was all packed by Friday morning, I was ready to roll. Sometimes things just don't work out the way you had planned. A misfortunate incident occurred -
It wasn't me that it happened to. I am fine. Broderick had an MRI on Friday. Apparently he is severely allergic to whatever the stuff is that they give you before the MRI. He was violently ill.
Had we any inkling that I would have missed the meet, I would have driven myself up on Friday, but by Saturday morning it was all but too late. I can't drive long distances and perform without resting my back - y'all have to remember I have an "angry" back. That's the short version of the story.
I really wanted to compete in Henri Skiba's meet, because he is a truly super guy with a heart as big as the sun. I hope his meet was successful, and I have the opportunity once again to compete in a meet that he produces.

OK, so enough whining and wimpering. What can I do but plug on for the next one....

I did go to the gym, and deadlift. I pulled 400 very easily, which makes me believe that I could have pulled 420 in meet conditions. I took my time yesterday, trained hard but was laid back about it, rather than my usual tense self. Maybe it was because I was in a bummed mood that I did not have my usual mode going. But, I will be all that much better for the next meet...no injuries, lots of rest, loads of enthusiasm. I'll be there.

bloggy posting

I AM still working on getting the Member's Section up and running


My eyes are bugging out from staring at the computer editing pictures Hopefully it will be ready next week!



The red dress shoot was last weekend. It was unusually warm - 75 degrees give or take. A perfect day for the beach! The scenery is Cape Henlopen point. Photographer - Jody Hudson, my real estate partner, who is also one of the best landscape photographers! We tested his new Canon digital camera.




-Monday I had planned to do a short, no squat leg routine, due to the meet coming up, but as the day wore on, I got antsier and a feeling of "must get under the bar" swept over me. I heeded to my from the gut calling. I grabbed my squat boots, and I squatted. I did much better than I had planned, but I'm still not squatting Saturday. My guess is I might get 425 , but I'm not chancing it. My squat psyche does not have time to re-gear for this one, and I want a higher number than that, anyhoooo. I'll save the squatting for the Delaware Power Classic, on April 21.

I will be benching this weekend. I don't normally do a bench session so close to a meet, but there was no choice, unless I skipped it all together, which may be the way to go, but I haven't figured that out yet. Tradition has it that I screw up the last bench workout before my meet. I just do, why, I don't know. I didn't totally screw up this one, but it was, rigid, for lack of a better word.
I should be playing with a raw 300+ meet bench, I am playing with that at the gym but I'm just hoping that I get the 275 at the meet . If I screw up and don't get a 275, then I need to do some major adjustments, to not only my training, but to my thought processing.

Will I deadlift this weekend? I'll decide when I weigh-in.

Warped

It feels really great walking around in flip flops and a tank top in January. It doesn't feel really great having the flu. It does feel really great knowing that the reason I had a mediocre training session last night was the fact that I have the flu, and not that I am burnt out or overtrained or just plain ol' weak. What a warped method of thinking.
It was in the mid-70's here today. Donned a new red sleeveless mini dress and went for a photo session down on the beach. The lighting was as warm as the air was. I was cramping up all over the place whilst posing, however, and that's about the time the FLU feeling finally slammed me.

If you read my journal even semi-regularly, you know I get just about everything that is making its way through the populace. Seems my son bestowed his illness upon me....grrrrrrooooan. I feel like sludge.

Thursday January 04 2007

I am frantically working on getting the Members Section of my website ready. It is bunches of work!!! I have had many requests from fans already, so I am have high hopes that it will be a succesful venture. I've got tons of unreleased photos, unreleased video clips, etc. etc. just waiting. I am excited. If anyone has suggestions for me, please e-mail me. I'm getting alot of requests for my foot shots, too - I have awesome feet, if I do say so myself.

My son has been sick this week. I had the thermometer out the other day after taking his temerature. Just for the heck of it (and because I've been feeling bad) I took mine, and lo and behold, my temperature was a degree and a half higher than base temp. So, I've been sick, and not as burnt out as I thought. I swear I get so used to feeling bad that when I am sick, I do not know it. Here is a picture of "the boy" at Christmas, Slater. 13 years old, the "Magic" age, for a few more weeks, until he turns the "Super Magic" age of 14..

Benches last night. I was about 10% - 15% off normalcy, but close enough not to gripe about it. And I haven't been taking vitamins, either. I confirmed one thing last evening - The rotation of the wrist is my key in pushing the bar back and up. We also determined that the heavier the bar is, the better my technique gets. Perhaps it is the thought of being crushed underneath of it if I don't get it back to the rack that enhances my performance??!! 275 for three pauses were so/so. B put 315 on the bar, for a PAUSE REP, said he'd help me get it off of my chest - plan being that a 275 or 290 after 315 was going to feel so much lighter. OK, that makes sense. He helped me, but only an eeny bitsy bit - as I stated, my technique gets better the heavier the bar. SOooooooooo, my plan is to get the 315 raw at a meet before another woman does else does. And if someone gets it before me, I'll have to work on the 325!! : ) As you can see, as my muscles get bigger, my hair gets bigger too. Bill Jentz of Women's Physique World, has voted my mop "Most Muscular Hair"!!!

Wishing you all a powerful New Year

2007 - my oh my time is flying by...don't be looking for me to post any new year's resolutions. I make daily resolutions.Today is no different to me than say, yesterday or the day before or...I reflect and analyze continuously, and try to make myself not only better on the outside, but the inside as well every day(well, MOST days). OK, OK, my resolution is to make at least one person smile every day. Now THAT is powerful! Think about that next time you make someone smile.
Let's go back to Wednesday. I had someone different spotting me, my dear friend "Big" Bill...he kindly stuck around and spotted me as I was alone that evening. It had been a whole week since I had trained anything at all. Either I was super Kate that night, or Bill helped me on the spotting. I would like to assume the former, as Bill is quite an accomplished bencher (recently benched bodyweight for 39 reps. He weighs 280.), and he knows how to spot. So let's just say that I did the 275 for six pauses and 295 for four pauses and be done with that.

Sunday I knew I wasn't physically prepared for squatting, but mentally I HAD to. I was either going to squat, or I wasn't going to squat, but I had to find out. One and a half days after training back, even without deadlifting, is much too soon to train legs. The Hammer Strength rack is totally wierd to me. it's the first time squatting in it. We went to the back rack, as the front just threw me off completely. B can stand up and get out with no problem. It's just not quite right for me. Normally if I'm mentally tired, I can just let my physical self take over. When I am physically tired, I can get my mental being to take over. Yesterday, I was mentally AND physically tired, and I just couldn't get it going. BURNT OUT??? As B said I looked, I also felt "rusty". WTF???
385 may as well have been 500. I did two singles with it. Then 275 for 10. I have truly lost my squatting groove, and I need to find it. Now, all told, my knee held up very well. It hurt when B wrapped it, oooh, it did hurt. And it was impossible to walk to the chalk box once wrapped. But, the down and up motion of squatting did not hamper it, at least apparently. We then did two sets of slooooooww leg presses, and some slooowww leg curls. That was it. Oh, and some calves. How depressing....
Highest probability is that I will only bench and deadlift come January 13...but if y'all know me, and if you read this journal you might guess, that I could change my mind at any given time. It all depends if the groove finds its way back home to me. I miss it desperately.

walking

The outlook is grim for squatting at the meet in a few weeks. I still can't straighten my leg, or flex my quad. The worst is when I go down the stairs, not up, but down. My quad cramps up terribly all over the place, especially the vastus medialis. Living on the third floor of a condo complex has become quite a problem. Christmas night I was taking out the trash and POW! It hit me. I got stuck on the stairs, couldn't move, couldn't stand, couldn't sit, and i couldn't get it to work itself out. This lasted a few minutes, and it seemed eternal. It was a mighty horrible experience.
I decided to go for a walk tonight, I haven't been for a walk since I injured myself. I did have a strange gait, not my usual. I only had one small cramping over about a two mile trek. It either helped to work the problem out, or I messed it up further. I should be able to tell in the morning.

16th

I found this picture on one of the more popular women's bodybuilding forums...me at weigh-ins at the Nationals. Yep, this is 16th place boys and girls.....hmmmm

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve...Santa said I was bad again this year... :( :( No presents for me under the tree again.
Some people stop and say thanks at this time of year - I try to start EVERY day by thinking of three things (at least) that I am thankful for. This practice helps me put my life into perspective, and sometimes, when I wake up crusty and crabby and mean, it helps soften my edges.
Until yesterday, I hadn't trained since Monday, when I strained my knee. A time out period has been calling me and I have been ignoring it (like a fool.) Yesterday was Saturday - not my normal back day, but mentally I was ready again, and since I was overdue for some deadlifting, had been about five weeks, I think, I trained. My knee is healing, and thankfully it doesn't affect the deads.

I hate to go into detail about my deadlifting. For some reason expounding on deadlifting makes me feel jinxed??? I will say, however, that my new shoes are MAGIC shoes, and the deadlifting was some of the most "effortless" I have done to date. I think I finally figured out how to deadlift. :) :) Now, if I can figure out how to stop the bar from ripping my legs open right above the knees, I'll be satisfied. Good God, that hurts! The blood does provide for a highly dramatic flair, however.
I won't be training again until Wednesday, so my bench ought to be groovin'! :) :) :)
Talk to you then - and have a POWERFUL and happy Christmas!!!!

pity the injured

Heres' a really good rule to follow - If you have adjustable pins on the safety bar portion of your squat rack, always set them high enough so if you bomb at the bottom, you can free yourself without getting stuck...otherwise you might INJURE yourself. My upper back was just simply exhausted, I couldn't get up, and got stuck - hence, the tendons in my right knee are a-hurtin'. I may have messed up my chances of doing a full power competition in January. Maybe not, but probably.

Boots

I forgot to mention that the other night I switched benching shoes again. I tried out my motorcycle boots, heels rather than flats. Lo and behold, I will have to try again to reconfirm, but I do believe I have found my new official benching shoes!They make me feel more "elevated", even when laying down, hence, the feeling of elevating my chest to the bar is more natural.
I just bought some new flat footwear for deadlifting last night. I will be trying those out come next Friday. I'm wondering if there is anybody out there as concerned with their footwear (ok...entire wardrobe) for their lifting as I am? I will point out, in my defense, that I have nerve damage in the balls of both feet, and footwear for everyday wear has to pass the support and comfort test. Then, if you ever get a chance to look at my arches - these are what I called "high-heeled" feet. My arches are so high that it makes the curvature at the top of my feet elevated, hence alot of shoes don't fit along the top...I am always aware of my feet.

Friday was back and biceps...as it always is. I was still beat up from Wednesday's gold star workout, hence I did some higher reps for a change, not for every set, but for much of the session. I am still sore today, but I don't feel like I was in a train wreck, just sore from training. My left wrist and elbow are a bit distressed, probably from Wednesday, I'll keep them monitored. I couldn't do dumbell curls, they aggravated the elbow/bicep.

Christmas is next week - I'm all done my shopping, I've got my condominium decorated, but I need a little spark to light my Christmas spirit this year...any one got a match?

Groovin'

Last night was a touchstone of training sessions! I was groovin' and so was B. Benching - 315 for three really great reps, and 1 with just a teeny weeny bit o' help from B, so 315 x 3-3/4's...and pauses 275 x 4...at 152 lbs. Then we just busted ourselves on incline dumbell presses, incline flyes, btn Hammer shoulder press machine, seated Hammer laterals, seated dip machine (I did more reps than B on these with same weight !!HAH) I can't remember the other tricep movement, I can only remember that my chest, delts, triceps were swolt toast to the max!!! Taking the video clips of the benches really helps me to analyze the technique, so they were so much better than they have ever been.

I'm still at 152, there is a chance I may go back down to the 148's for the Jersey Iron meet, but I will probably stay in the 165's, even if I am closer to 148. I think my body has had enough dieting for a while. I have to be good to my body, for it has been through the ringer, and back, and again so many times this past year. This week I've been all jammed up, been to the chiro twice and had B unjam my hip yesteday. I'm icing it as I type this.

We started back at the Firm Monday night - feels like home there, all warm and cozy!! B was feeling good in his squat suit, except for that nasty blood that kept spurting out of his nose and leaving puddly spots on the floor ...good thing Paul, the owner, likes us...I think he considers us good, free entertainment - better than clowns!

B's incredible gams....

So what does it look like to have your calf cramp up in the middle of having your picture taken?

coming back around

I'm here, just going through my ignoring posting on my blog phase again.
Friday was back and biceps night, and I'm just now, today -Wednesday getting over that.
The back is feeling recovered, however, the lower biceps STILL have that deep down soreness.
Maybe I should rephrase that and say still feeling the PAIN!!! Perhaps I was more "over the edge" from the competition last month than I thought!
I only did five total sets for biceps...just shows you - you do NOT need 10 to 20 sets of biceps (or triceps, or anything else for that matter) if you do them with all you've got to give them. Go ahead, argue with my biceps - --B started doing some slow reppin' with me on the biceps, and he was feeling the aftermath for a couple of days himself. HAHAHA!!!

Monday - back to squatting!! I love it I love it I love it. My back has been traumatized from so much long distance traveling and driving lately. That really takes its toll on my back. Each and every rep the other night I could hear the spine popping as I descended, and in my video clips you can see the fatigue, but I did what I could anyway. 405 x 3 and 425 x 1( me weighing in at 150). Then I did a set at 315 with NO knee wraps for 7. Slow hacks, then Len pulled out his big purple rubber band and we did lying leg curls with the band. WOW! Those hit me in a new place - up high and out. Methinks me liked those! Then onto stiff legged dumbell deadlifts. I do those differently than most people, more like what some call a "flat backed" deadlift. I really keep the legs stiff. Hits the glute - ham tie in much better...gosh, I really need to build my butt up don't I ( LOL) .
All in all, a pretty darned fantastic workout. 425 at 150lbs. at the bottom of my strength curve - I'll take it. I almost put that bar back after the sixth rep, but I stuck it out after rethinking and did the seventh. NOW I know what "that pukey feeling" is ... and you know, I liked it. We are going to have to invest in a puke bucket, I suppose (ooo, gross)

Post leg day

We are still trekking up to the Training Center for leg training on Mondays. B is still analyzing his T-Rex squat suit. I think he is going to trash the wide stance. He is right, I believe, in going back to the narrower stance. Len Walker joined us last night. Len didn't actually train "with" us, as he uses bands and chains and boxes etc...and we do not, but he is just so much fun and highly energetic and the nicest guy in the entire world. There can be nothing but positive energy emitted from feeding off of people like Len - He will be joining us semi-regularly. YAY!

I am still only squatting every other week. Last night I leg pressed. 1090 x 8, 1180 x 6, 1240 x 2...heavy, and I am feeling the quads today! Then onto ssslllloooowww leg extensions, two sets of two, and one regular set. Four sets of one legged Hammer leg curls - two ssslllooowww and two regular, and four sets of calves on the hacks. I still look ripped and veiny and my calves looked extra swolt last night. It is so hard to leave this look behind, but I have to put at least a few pounds on to push heavier weights...so see ya, I'm going to go eat a peanut butter slathered protein bar. Oink -

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Today is Thanksgiving. Most people LOVE this day - they get an excuse to feast on large quantities of high fat foods...I abhor the thought! I really do NOT like gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, I HATE pie...I never, never in my life liked butter...
My sister-in-law got angry with me a couple of years ago when I brought my own plain baked potato and broccoli to her house on Thanksgiving. Did she want me to starve???? I'm going to Ma and Pa' house this afternoon. I guess I'll stop at the store on the way and buy some baked potatoes and broccoli...

I don't know what was going on last night at the gym. Somewhere along the line I have retained my strength! Not that I am complaining. It could be lack of expectations, and being relaxed about my performance (oh no! Kate used the "R" word!) At 149 .5 on the scale. As of lasy evening,I have started doing ALL of my benching with 2 second pauses on the chest. No mo' "touch 'n go". Lo and behold - I very much like this. Last night 245 x 3 , 265 x 2, and 275 for one. I think that the pause only way of benching is the way to go for me.

WPW shoot

Yesterday was my photo shoot with Bill and John of Women's Physique World - We went up to a beautiful old house, from the 1700's, in Phoenixville PA. Their friend Charles has this "spare house" on the property with an amazing home gym in it. The shoot was thoroughly enjoyable, the guys are a pure pleasure to work with. Posing is such hard work for four straight hours, but I don't mind when I am being made comfortable and treated like a lil' princess...(ok, not so little).
I am about SICKof the smell of Pro-Tan these days...

Monday was squat night. We went up to The Training Center, Brad Vargason dropped in to see us. He's about as whacked as Broderick is, no wonder they get along... Under the circumstances, being totally depleted for the show and it was only 1 week later, and I was still on a diet (photo shoot the next day - had to look semi-decent) still 148 pounds, I did fine. 405 x 2 is acceptable at this point. My main focus Monday was not wimping out on the one rep I never do but always "could have". And I stayed with them all. I did my slow hacks, four sets of leg curls, some calves, and outta there! I am encouraged - once FOOD becomes a regular part of my regimen again, I am sure the plans I have will be realized this year. On the way home from Phoenixville last night, we stopped at Barnes and Noble. I got a piece of Ginger Spice cake, and a LARGE Chocolate Chunk cookie.
Then when I got home, I could not let Little Debbie feel neglected, so two packages of Holiday cakes with milk before bed! Oink....

January 13

January 13, 2007 - that is the date of the Jersey Iron Powerlifting Competition. It will be my next powerlifting meet, full power. It is being produced by my dear friend Henri Skiba in Carteret NJ. It is eight weeks away - heck, yes that is plenty of time.
Last night was the first night back in the gym since before the Nationals. My body was tired, oh so very, very tired -but mentally, I was right there. Mentally, I was on top of it. We began deadlifting off of a plate, since my weakest point in the deadlift is right off of the floor. B has had aversions to actually trying this method for quite some time now, but all of a sudden he thinks that this could be beneficial. I have been wanting to try this for quite some time - it either works, or it doesn't. Mechanically, they felt as perfect as they could possibly be. I am also re-setting between every rep, rather than straight on repping. I bloodied BOTH knees last night, and my left shin! aahhh - life is good....

RAW is recognized!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Powerliftingwatch.com this morning:

The APF Is Going Raw

Submitted by jon on November 17, 2006 - 6:47am.
Mike Sweeney announces that the APF/WPC and its tested divisions AAPF/AWPC are moving closer toward offering full raw lifting. In the past, meet directors were allowed to offer raw lifting at meets but records were not kept. Their new policy gives state chairmen the go ahead to create raw divisions and keep raw state records if they choose. Sweeney characterizes the move a test and suggests that if interest develops, raw lifting will become a larger part of the federation, although without moving from its core of equipped lifting.

Now that is the BEST birthday present I could ask for!!!!

16

Here is what "16"th place looks like, boys and girls -

I'm tired of talking about it, tired of thinking about it ...I am looking forward to squatting heavy and deadlifting again without worrying about scabbing up my knees and shins.

Home again Home again

jiggetty jig.........

As I stated, the judges are either going to like me, or not. Apparently not - apparently I "suffer" from not looking muscular enough in my relaxed stances, but when I flex I carry too much detailed and conditioned muscle for their liking. I like it, and apparently alot of other people like it - but not the judges. My placing - very top of the "16"th pile, EXACTLY the same as last year. My opinion is that realistically I should have come in somewhere between 8th and 13th. There are a few other women I thought should have placed higher, too - Gerri Deach and Pam Franklin in particular, I could say so many things here, but I won't. However, if anyone reading this saw the show or sees the competition comparisons and pre-judging pictures cares to drop me a line and give me an honest assessment, constructive critisism welcome. please do via e-mail at powerfulkate@comcast.net.

I had a blast meeting and posing for Annie Rivvieccio. She is a doll. I had a shoot with Eric Lemke and totally enjoyed working with him, also. Of course, Tom Nine - a pure pleaure.
I have some pictures to post and more to relay, but I am still in a state of physical exhaustion.
Even typing is wearing me out -

Clyde Carr Photographer

I had a photoshoot with Clyde Carr yesterday - posted some new pix on my site. Ladies, if you ever get the chance to shoot with Clyde Carr go for it. He is an awesome photographer, and an awesome guy. I have known Clyde for a couple of years now, and he is just a big sweetheart. My friend Lisa Scott makes most of the dresses and posing suits I wear in the pictures on my site, and I am taking a bunch with me for the photoshoots in Miami.
I will have a link to her designs on my site ASAP.
She is so very talented and creative! You can reach her at Lisascott1960@hotmail.com, or e-mail me. She'll make just about anything you want, and make it good!

We are just about off to Miami- I will try to update my journal while we are there. My darling counterpart B is going with me - my babysitter! LOL, funny, but oh, so true! He is the one who truly has the hard job.
I have done everything in my power that I could do (save for all of those extra reps in the squat that I always wimp out on). I have trained my guts out, I have dieted hard without cheating once, I have posed, I have prayed - I am confident that I am going in the best I can be. The judges either like me or they don't - but at this point, I like what I am bringing. Send me some positive energy on Saturday morning, pleeeeezzz!!

Squat Fever

So I am standing behind B spotting him while he squatted last night, and all I can think about is getting back under that bar myself. That's all I can think about. I'm supposed to be thinking about the upcoming show this weekend. I was almost frothing at the mouth watching him squat.
He's still learining his squat suit, having been a raw lifter almost his entire lifting life. The 220 squat record is now 1030. B has that in him, and more. Just a matter of time - a short time at that. Anybody hear 1100? Broderick Chavez - remember that name. Also remember that name when you see my conditioning at the Nationals, for he is my guru!
I hate this week because I can't train, dammit!!!

Coming in on the low side of the heavyweights will either prove to be an complete advantage, or a complete disadvantage - not sure which yet. I have no idea how I will compare to the other women...bigger women, but I do know this. I have a tremendously pleasing shape, I have dense muscle, I have a small waist, I have good stuff. Wait until I hit the rear double biceps! I am an unknown, which will be a disadvantage. It is so very nice to not be talked about and analyzed like they are doing to the other well knowns, but sometimes I do wish they would acknowledge me. I hope that happens on Saturday - that they will acknowledge my prescence.
Whatever happens Saturday I will have won my own battle, my own challenges to myself, and realized a feat not many will ever have the opportunity to realize. This used to be what I thought was a far fetched dream of mine. In my heart and subconsious mind I always knew I could do it. Yes I'm nervous, and I am still shy about it, but I CAN do it.
Wherever I place at the Nationals, my immeditae goals are still on the power lifting platform. I need to change my attitude going under the bar. B says he is going to teach me how to bring the meaness out. I've been doing hypnotherapy but that hasn't touched upon the meaness factor.
I think that is all that is hindering me at this point - letting the fear override the meaness.
Once I conquer that, all my possibilities and probabilities become real!

I know I don't look happy in this front relaxed picture, but it is the only still B took on Saturday. I was 147, and an even drier 146.5 on Sunday.
Right on target, and my legs are FINALLY starting to dry out.
The hamstring picture is proof that my hamstrings actually do start in the rear of my knees. I don't think I can recall ever seeing anybody with hammies this low before. This is where I believe I get lots of power to squat big iron from -

I didn't get to IHOP on Saturday as planned, but did get there yesterday! I ate my stack of harvest grains and half of B's, then took Slater out to dinner and had peanuts and sodium enriched rice, so I'm not quite as dry today! I will be good today and be back on track tomorrow.

Monday is usually leg day, but to give them proper rest before the show I went in and trained them yesterday. No squats!!(BOO). Just some good ol' fashioned blood pumping training.
Saddest thing is, I can't squat again for two more weeks...WOE is me. The weather has been glorious, so I went for an extra walk this weekend - only two miles. I know there are doubters who don't believe me when I say I do no cardio, but hey, I don't do any cardio.

MISERABLE

A head cold! Nothing is worse than a head cold. Sseriously, I would rather have the flu than a head cold. Nothing is worse than not being able to breathe. Air is underrated. Somebody has stuffed corks into my sinus cavitiesI am sure. Can't sleep, can't taste my food...aaargghh!
I was feeling good until this. Well, better now than next week. It's hard to train without a breath for each rep - it's rep, rep GASP, rep rep GASP

My strength is still hanging, just a little down, and I'm more apt to wimp out and not do the extra rep because I can blame it on the diet...that's bad. I have still been repping with 400+ squats, and reps last nightwith 285 on the bench. And I'm 147 and a half to 148 and a half on a daily basis for the past two weeks. Every day I do get more vascular and striated. B says my legs are just water balloons, and they will look fine on stage. My hamstrings are really long, actually end in the back of my knees, so some of that apparent "bulge" that other girls show isn't quite that apparent because of that fact... the apparent "sweep" to the quads doesn't show either because my muscle attaches into the knee, not above like most people's. B always says I could have been one of the top sprinters in the world because of my build.

Two weeks out

Bad lighting for pictures-

Frustration

~sitting here watching my posing videos from yesterday...my upper body, I swear I have not a complaint, I can kill them all with my back,really nice horseshoes, great bicep peaks, striated chest,....HOWEVER I am just plain ol' frustrated when I watch my legs...What does a girl have to do to get the definition to come in?!!! Woe the F#*! is me -
My hamstrings aren't so bad, but my quadriceps, I swear they do this on purpose.

One day of replenishing - I had IHOP harvest grain pancakes and porkchops yesterday - with scrambled egg whites. My favorite meal in the entire world!!! The only thing that could have made it better would have been if I had three more pancakes on my plate. Back on the diet today - I was at 150 this morning. I gained two pounds this week.

I got my hair extensions this morning....they are ok, I wanted to have long hair for years on end, but had to put up with hair stylist after hair stylist who thought I should be Shirley Temple reincarnated. My friend Lisa Scott and her daughter Tashia put them in. Lisa is beautiful and a very talented singer, and she also made the great bikini and dress in the pictures posted a few days ago.
I can't get this blogger to uplaod the pictures from yesterday, so those will have to wait.

Revealed

Oh My - I see I am being "revealed"...
Hello, World!
Yes, I'll be at the Nationals, a heavyweight, albeit one of the smaller big girls...I will be there at my best!
Now I'll reveal a little secret that will make other competitors truly hate me - I don't do any "cardio" - typically, year round I walk two or three times per week, about two miles a stretch. A couple of weeks ago I upped the walking to five days a week, three or four miles a stretch, and it proved to be detrimental to me - it stressed and smoothed my quads out considerably, so now I have to cut back again. :)

2 and a half weeks to Miami

....I think I am I supposed to be excited about the upcoming competition? ?? Sorry, I haven't quite hit that stride yet.
I have set up a photoshoot with Annie Rivvieccio while I am in Miami - THAT excites me!!! I had a shoot with the awesome and ever so loveable Clyde Carr this past Sunday - he is very talented, and a great friend. The pictures here are by Clyde- we went to Cape Henlopen State Park, and you just can't get much prettier scenery anywhere. Iwould not call myself a "good" model, but we did get a ton of beautiful shots.

My weight is hovering around 148. The diet is kicking my butt here and there - last Friday I almost passed out at the gym due to lack of sugars...Strength is down a little - energy gets sapped VERY quicly. My quads are still my frustration.

Last week my total was 1040, raw - of course!-weighed in at 147.25... :( :( :( :( - 'nuff said about that!

Less than five weeks to the Nationals..what in the world am I doing?!!!
Anyhoo- Tom Nine, highly renowned woman's physique photographer actually drove up here from VA Beach to shoot ME yesterday...Spent 5 hours with him on Cape Henlopen Beach, Lewes Beach and then to Gold's Gym...flexing all day in a majorly dehydrated lean state is HARD! I really do feel more physically exhausted today and beat up than the day after any of my powerlifting meets...then I pulled out my lower right lat today and can barely move without spewing out some choice expleted deletives... I'm laying back on the ol' heating pad right now, this SUX!!! I must be doing something right, though - Tom suggested we get together in Miami!
I am HONORED...I felt kind of goofy, as I always do, flexing and posing - it's the part I least like about this "sport" called bodybuilding. I just like to train and lift heavy weights, and yes I like looking really good and in shape.

First State Power Frenzy

OK, I did fall apart -it all came apart at the last minute, but you know what? It's fine - I helped produce a powerlifting meet, where so many good people were able to realize the fruition of there cumulative efforts, I gave people the opportunity to feel satisfied, and to be proud of themselves, and to get excited and to help others do the same...yes I'm fine...

Haven't fallen apart yet -

-but I have come close!!!
I was down to 152 yesterday...looking a bit flat again, as I always do after a couple of weeks of dieting, but looking quite lean. I believe that I have gained a bit of size during my diet. I have to be at 148 next Saturday for the First State Power Frenzy. I'm in a better frame of mind than any of the other powerlifting meets I have lifted in thus far. I strongly believe that hypnotherapy has played a major role in helping me achieve that. I don't question my ability as I used to - I used to think that maybe all of my achievements were a fluke, and it was all going to stop one day the moment I had a bad lift. Heck, now I know that I was made to do this. At least until I fall apart!!!LOL
I had to train alone yesterday - I took Friday off as an extra day of rest, which I desperately needed, and then doing the deadlifts exactly a week out from the meet made more sense to me. I also wanted to put myself in the gym at an earlier time of day, to throw my body off now, instead of shocking it on the day of the meet, which is what usually happens. I want to be "ON "this time , more than I can articulate. I haven't been able to put it all together yet, and I so want to prove to MYSELF that I can this on a grand scale.
I don't ever hear other women complain about this, but I will, as I am learning to have no shame - are there other women out there who feel that leaking sensation while pulling hard on the deadlift? Yes, peeing their pants sensation - 385 came up relatively easy, then as i pulled, I actually had momentum slow as the wave of that sensation came over me, and I had to use energy to override that before I could continue on the ascent of the pull. I'm not sure it would bother me so much in a meet if I wet my pants, but I had the rest of my workout to complete, and I didn't want to wear peed pants for another hour at the gym!
AND for the meet GOALS = I hate putting these goals in writing, but I find that it is a necessary "evil".
Squat - I have mastered 465, and the leg strength was there to do another rep, I believe. I just think that learning to hold that weight on my shoulders for more time is my battle. Let's say 470.
Bench - the key piece to this for me is staying tight in the chest as I bring my body to the bar.
I just mentally learned this and was unable to practice this properly the other night on scheduled training session due to all kinds of disasters...hopefully I can master this on meet day. 275 is a reasonable goal...if I could learn to stay tight and not choke in anticipation, a 295 - 300 could happen, it WILL happen soon, but this time???
Deadlift - My goal is 400, B thinks 425 is a reasonable goal. (I will be sure to wear an undergarment pad on the deadlifts - I'd LOL after making that remark but it is really not funny)

first the pictures from last week - 8 weeks to the Nationals.

Monday was a fantastic night up at the Training Center - always a better atmosphere = very conducive to heavy lifting there. SQUATS:
B put his squat suit on for the second time, and hit a 935! He had to unrack it 3 times off the monolift because the weight was crushing him down, he couldn't get the bar up over the lip, and had to lower the setting. All that energy spent and it still was a walk in the park for him(ok, so he walks hard!)
I weighed in at 155 on Monday - hit 405 for four reps. I wanted to go to 445, because I knew that I had done that before, mentally I was preparing for that. While B wrapped my knees Al Fortney snuck over to the bar and slapped 20 more pounds on the bar. I did not know until I was done that I squatted 465...I did it though, and I did it well. That computes to exactly 3x bodyweight...I'm still all giddy and full of myself for that one!!!
It's Thursday and my legs are still lead-like...I am blaminmg the hacks on that one. I am making good friends with that particular hack squat...and slow as I do them I need to be friends with it.
Last night, normally chest delts, tri's, was a DISASTER!!!! For both of us - B was fighting that awful bench shirt thing again. He was in incredible pain, and found out later last night after a trip to the emergency room that he had a busted ear drum, and an infection. He doesn't give in to pain often, when he does you KNOW that there must be a problem.
He wrestled with a couple of sets, then wisely quit.
Me? Well, due to a "low recovery week", I was still beat up from Monday's session. I had five and a half hours sleep the night prior, and I wasn't used to that either - it was the most sleep I'd had in one stretch in weeks, and weeks, and weeks....sleep is beneficial, but when your body is not used to it, mine anyway, it just wants to wallow in the relaxed state once it finally gets some. After yanking on B's shirt while stuffing him in it, my forearms, elbows and even my biceps were already fatigued and sore by the time I got under the bar. I picked off 225 x 8, but they were not what I would call "groove reps". My next attempt B was in his shirt, and a hand-off in a bench shirt just isn't optimal - he "pushed" it out wobbly and I had it wobbly, and it just sucked, then I waited until he took the shirt off, but things were just sucky all over. 255 pause was ok, but I couldn't lock out on 265 pause because my forearms were so incredibly fatigued. So the atmosphere just continued to deteriorate, and I knew that continuing on was pointless, and probably detrimental. So I called it quits, too.

Tuesday morning

We started our weekly mission of traveling up to the Training Center to train last night. It is a fantastic, old school, hardcore gym - we love it. Jack, the owner, is so good to us by letting us come in whenever we can to train. FIRST - B tried on his new T REX squat suit. He went up to 845, and had absolutely NO PROBLEM with it...still about an inch and a half to legal depth, that will take a little more weight - maybe a hundred pounds. He was certainly born to squat!
Second- My leg bruise is distinctly darker, but I had no problems with it training legs last night. In fact, it was the other leg that felt like it was pulling last night. I leg pressed, and I love TTC's leg press. I did three sets, I did ? x 15, ? x15, and 1010 x 12....I hate high reps, but it was good to be able to do them considering my f'd up condition these past few weeks, and the mysterious bruise. I actually felt strong yesterday, and I miss squatting when I watch B, but doing them every other week is surely saving much wear and tear on my body.

Bruised

Here is the newest injury -
The bruise starts at the back of my leg and wraps to the side...it's about 8 inches long, 3 inches wide. There is still a big knot there. It is not painful...thank God. I felt an odd sensation in that spot during warmups for deadlifts when I squatted down. I was so worn out, was only going to deadlift, not do any other back motions...this sleep thing still is hampering me, wearing me way down. Sleep is NOT overated. I keep waking between sleep cycles, and staying awake. It is slowly improving, but I've still long strides, and many hours of sleep to make up. Anyhooooo, I did one at 365, no energy there to get another. It came up fast and easy, but by mid-point I was out of energy. Wisely, I stopped. I didn't think anything else of that spot until a couple of hours later when I stood up and felt a strange sort of pull...not really a pain. I touched it and felt a knot. Later that evening I spotted a small bruise and by yesterday morning - VOILA!!! B thinks it is some torn fibers...Let me not dwell on this for fear of depression.

Too much

Two nights of training back to back is definitely too much. Grrrrrrrroooooannnnn!!! We missed Monday because I had an unexpected root canal, hence Tuesday and Wednesday together... What a fine way to spend a Labor Day. Actually, during the root canal isn't so bad - I can't feel it while it's being performed, and my endodologist is adorable and funny and entertaining...it's afterwards, when the pain hits. The absolute worst part is the antibiotics - I abhor taking them, they make me feel snippy and tired and tense. I'm already snippy and tired and tense!!!Ever since the experiment gone awry last week, I have been a downright mess.
Insomnia has been plagueing me to top all of that off. It's bad when you go in public and have to hang on to countertops and such so you don't sway or fall over....Going in last night to do legs should have been a much more frightening thought than it was...and it WAS a frightening thought. Going under the squat bar with 400+ pounds when you have no equilibrium, a numb brain, get dizzy when you move too quickly, and your eyes are burning and feel like they are sliding down your face is very frightening. HOWEVER, I said to myself that if I just relaxed, and was careful, and instinctively used the knowledge and abilities that I have spent two years learning, I would be ok. My strength was not 100%, maybe 90 to 95%, but when I am forced to be in that mode my technique becomes not quite meticulous, but very good. It has to be.
It was actually a damned good workout. I did hit 425, betcha 445 would have happened. I didn't have OOMPH, though...oomph is where reps happen, without it, the energy to do more than a couple just peters me out.

I did sleep straight through last night more than I have in probably almost two weeks. I think 5 to 5 and a half hours...but with just one night of sleep after being wired out for so long - that's when my eyes roll to the back of my head and don't want to come out until perhaps one more night of uninterrupted sleep.
I moved into an "on beyond exhausted' stage this evening. All kinds of pains and tightness and an empty drained feeling in most every muscle belly in my body. It's not good - I need to eat and rest, and rest, and sleep, and replenish before bad things happen.
However, I can still bench 315 on a bad day, at 154 lbs.. It was a slow, long ascent, but I did it....my foot slipped out from under me, methinks the tread on my tennie is worn and I just pushed so hard that it slipped from under me...wierd. I don't like that. We did alot of pure work tonight, I feel trained, but drained.
I look good!

Lazy Sunday Morning

They came yesterday! B's new toys - a T Rex Squat suit and a pair of briefs, and a Phenom bench shirt. What in the world?!!! Mr. Raw in gear????!!!! Yeppers, prepping for the October 14 Iron Asylum meet. B shall have no problem learning his new outfits, and shattering the current world record squat total for 220 lbs., which is now at 1025 held by Chuck Vogelpohl.
Hi B...are you reading this? You don't need me to tell you that you will do it. Forces are with you if you let them. Please let them.
I, on the other hand, will continue to lift raw, as I find that stuff cumbersome and annoying not only to wear, but it's a nuisance to put on.

I did not lift with B on Friday evening. I was still plagued by low blood pressure, and/or whatever was eating me up. I went in yesterday afternoon. A friggin' rainy Labor Day weekend in Rehoboth Beach. It took nearly an hour to drive the six miles to the gym. Then it was so grossly humid in there...and no towels to wipe my sweaty brow! It was also crowded. I was still somewhat washed out, but strong as I could be. I don't like working out alone, or should I say without B? I also hate stopping to pose in the mirror when I'm alone...I feel very egotistic.

I changed my diet up this morning. Instead of oatmeal with egg whites and protein powder as my first meal, I am switching to a protein bar with peanut butter. I think the sugars in the bar will stream into my system quicker and maybe I'll be less sluggish in the a.m. I really have been suffering with that problem - yesterday with clients and feeling like I was going to fall out of my chair any moment was not good.

I go through being excited about the Nationals, to wondering why the heck I am doing it....bodybuilding is a shallow, egotistical, not even a "sport"....it's all about chemical warfare up there on the stage. I guess I don't want to be lying on my deathbed saying "I could have, should have"...so I'll do it and get it the heck out of my system. Then, back to powerlifting!!! But I get accosted by so many people at the power meets who say "You are a bodybuilder." I want to smack them, but then I suppose it is a compliment on my physique?? OK, sure.......

Thursday August 31

I am suffering from low blood pressure today....just a little experiment going the wrong way. I'll eat some salt, I'll live, but what a horrible feeling.
Weight = 153 -154. Time to maintain the weight for a bit. It is hard to transition back to eating after I get into diet mode. I like that machine like feeling of being regimented.
Still strong - Last night B put me to the test. First set of benches was 275 for four. No problem. Next up for me - 325...FLAWLESS!!! That's double body weight plus. Touch and go, sure, but heck, it was flawless. Somewhere between getting super frustrated with trying to find the right technique, losing the groove totally, finding it again, and hypnotherapy (yes, I am a believer) I reinvented my bench press back to where the groove wants to be naturally. It works.
GOAL SET = September 30, competition somewhere between 275 and 300. At 148...raw (of course).
Sometimes I get so sick of bodybuilding. I look at pictures on tv and online and in the magazines...I get bored. I do it because I'm good at it...because all in all, I think I have an appealling physique to both hardcore bodybuilders and to mainstream people. If the NPC is truly looking for what they say...here I am. How ready for the Nationals am I? We will see...I don't know, but I'm stepping up and stepping out...

Hi Ho Hi Ho

It's off to Miami I go...NPC NAtionals November 10th!
It has taken me a month to whittle down from 170 to 154. I have to level off on this diet now. My projected competition weigh-in is 145. I will also be competing at the First State Power Frenzy September 30 - yes, my own meet, frenzied is one of my favorite states of being. I'll be a 148 pounder this time.
ANyhoooo- I am much pleased at my physique. My legs have taken on a beautiful shape, I can no longer be afraid to show them! 400+ pound squats almost every week and now additional brutal work (ahhh, secret methods) have really transformed them.
I've made the hotel reservations, the flight reservations, and just walked back from the post office with my $150 entry fee. The judges should take note of me this year, or something's wrong...
My strength is holding up! I attribute this to the fact that I feel better both physically and mentally at a lighter bodyfat percentage. Last night I put up 295 for three reps on the bench - all mine, all perfect form. Last week we did throw on 315 and I did it perfectly, too.
Monday I hit 405 for two reps, nicely. Power Goddess lives.

What about July 29

It was a bit much to hope that I could have pulled it off, and I did NOT pull it off. I was not in acute PAIN, it pulled, it was on fire ....my mental and physical signals did not jibe...Oh, I sucked.
B wasn't up to his usual great self wither. Only (!!!) a 650 squat (raw, of course).

Oh, I sucked.